Jake Ferguson will lead the Badgers in receiving
Ferguson is currently one catch and 98 yards behind A.J. Taylor for the team lead. As Ferguson continues to develop a trusted relationship with Alex Hornibrook, he’s going to see more and more targets throughout the rest of the season. And if there’s a quarterback change, passing to the tight end is one of the safest passing plays in Paul Chryst’s book. Ferguson will get tons of looks down the stretch.
Ferguson was being hyped up all offseason for his potential to do exactly what he’s doing. He’s a bit ahead of schedule, partially because of Zander Neuville’s injury, but partially to his own credit. He’s been a great option on third down and near the goal line. His size and athleticism are too much for most teams to cover. I don’t see a scenario where he doesn’t continue to get a majority of Hornibrook’s attention for the rest of the year.
As Hornibrook tries to find his groove again Ferguson is going to be his favorite target. He’s big, safe, and can work all levels of the defense. Unless A.J. Taylor starts catching more deep balls Ferguson could run away as the leader in receiving for this team. He’s only one big play of his own away from essentially evening the race.